The present invention relates to data communication systems, and in particular to such systems as applied to security networks.
A typical security system will have a number of transponders coupled to sensors which are used for the monitoring and control of intrusion detection. The signals from the transponders are provided to a central control console. Different techniques are applied to prevent unauthorized interception, tampering or jamming. Redundant communications and encryption are used to protect against intentional compromise of transmitted information. Information transmitted is typically a short message from a transponder using a state machine which is routed over a low bandwidth data line. Fiber optic are sometimes used to prevent monitoring, with the fiber optics signal being being converted to an electrical signal at some point for monitoring or control.
In contrast, data transmission systems for computer-to-computer file transmissions are typically designed for a benign environment with wide bandwidth communication channels. An example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,220. A large bandwidth allows complicated protocols to be used. In some applications, data encryption is used, such as for transmission of computerized bank records. Such information processing systems are optimized for a large aggregate throughput, whereas security control systems are optimized for low delay of short messages. Current information networks have not been applied to the needs of security systems due in part to their large protocol overhead and the need for a high bandwidth medium.